Automatic station



Ad. 16 '163'88'72 W.'L.INEWI MEYER -"1 AUTOMATIC STATION Filed Feb. 1.8, 1924 INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. N EWMEYER, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYI VANIA.

AUTOMATIC srarron'.

- Application file-d February 18, 1924. Serial No. 693,575.

My invention relates to automatic stations and more particularly to means for indicating the speed of translating devices in such stations. 77 74W r 6 One object ot my invention is to provide means responsive to the voltage generated by an exciter generator that is mechanically connected to a translating device in an automatic station, for effecting connection beto tween the translating device and an external circuit when the speed of the translating device attains a. predetermined value.

Another object of my invention is to obviate the necessity for providing separate speed-indicating means for controlling the operation of connecting means in an automatic station.

In the past it has been common practice in operating stations to provide a separate speed-indicating device, eithenelectrical or mechanical, for causin a circuit interrupter between a translating evice and an external circuit to be closed when the speed of the translating device attains a predeterm ned value. In my invention, I provide means whereby the necessity of providing such separate speed indicating means is obvlated.

The preferred form of my inventlon 1s embodied in an automatic hydro-electric generating station comprising an electric circuit, anelect-rical translating device for supplying energy thereto, connecting means between the circuit and the translating device, main driving means for the translating device, an exciter generator also driven by the main" driving means, and means responsive to the voltage generated by the exciter generator for controlling the efiectiveness of the connecting means between the external circuit and the translating device. The system embodyin m invention comprises a governor for control ing the operation of the driving means for the translating device and means adapted to be either remotely or locallycontrolled for controlling the operation of the governor. r

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic representation of an electrical system in which my invention is embodied.

Referring to the drawings, an electrical translating device or generator 1 is ada ted to supply energy to an external circuit 2,

through a circuit interrupter 3. The translating device 1 is mechanically driven by a water wheel 4 through a shaft 5. The operation of the water wheel 4 is controlled by a governor 6 that controls the degree of opening of a gate valve 7. The degree of opening of this valve controls the rate of admission of water to the water wheel 4 through pipes or conduits 8 and 9 from a reservoir or source (not shown).

exciter generator 10 comprises a fieldmagnet winding 11 and an armature member 12 that is mounted on the shaft 5. The exciter generator 10 supplies energy to fieldmagnet windings of the translating device 1, the terminals of which are connected to slip rings 13 and 14, through auxiliary contact members 15 of the circuit interrupter 3 that are engaged when this circuit interrupter is in its closed position. A voltageresponsive relay 16 has an operating coil 17 that is connected through a resistor 30 to the terminals of The relay 16 also has a pair of contact members 18 that are engaged when the coil 17 is energized to a predetermined degree and that are connected in series relation to an operating coil 19 of the circuit interrupter 3 to the terminals of the eXciter generator 10.

Let it be assumed that the translating device 1' and the water wheel 4 are in their non-operating conditions and that the circult interrupter 3 is in its open position to interrupt the connection between the circuit 2 and the translating device 1. When it is desired to initiate the operation of the trans lating device 1 and to cause it to supply energy to the circuit2, a magnet coil 20 of the evernor 6 and an operating coil 27 of a re ay 28 are energized. The circuit for energizing these coils is not shown as it may be desired to control this circuit in va rious ways, either locally or from remote points.

The governor 6 is of a well-known type that is so constructed that, when the magnet coil 20 is energized, the governor 6 causes the gate valve 7 to be opened by means of a connecting rod 21. When the operating coil 27 of the relay 28 is energized contact members 29 of this relay, which are connected in parallel relation to the operatthe exciter generator 10.-

7 and to cause the contact members 29 of mg coil 17 of the relay'16, are disengaged to en a short-circuit between the terminals of t e. coil 17.

When the gate valve 7 is opened, water is admitted to the water wheel 4 and the wheel, therefore, starts to rotate. A rotor member 22, that carries the field-magnet windings of the translating device 1, and thearmature member 12 of the exciter generator are started to rotate as soon as the water wheel 4 begins to operate.

As the speed of the exciter generator 10 increases with the speed of the water wheel 4 and the translating device 1, the voltage generated thereby increases in substantially direct proportion until it reaches such value that the operating coil 17 of the relay 16 is sufiiciently energized to cause this relay to effect engagement of its contact members 18. When the contact-members 18 are engaged, acircuit is completed from the exciter generator 10 to the operating coil 19 of the circuit interrupter 3.

When the coil 19 is thus energized, the circuit interrupter 3 is closed and held closed against the force of a compression spring 23. Closing of the circuit interrupter 3 completes a connection between the translating device 1 and the external circuit 2. At the same time, the auxiliary contact members 15 of the circuit interrupter 3 are engaged to complete a circuit extending from the exciter generator 10 to the fieldmaglnet windings of the translating device 1 t rough the slip rings 13 and 14. The field-magnet windings of the translating device 1 are thereby energizedto cause an alternating voltage to be induced in stator windings 24 of the translating device 1 and thereby to cause the translating device 1 to start supplying energy to the circuit 2'.

As soon as the speed of the water wheel 4 attains such a value that the translating device 1 begins to supply energy to the circuit 2, its operation is controlled by the governor 6 that is driven by a belt 25 from a pulley 26 that is mounted on the shaft 5. As long as the magnet coil 20 of the overnor 6. is maintained in an energize condition, the operation of the water wheel 4 and the translating device 1 is automatically controlled by the governor 6 in such manner that the translating device 1 supplies energy to the circuit 2 at a predetermined rate.

Whenever it is desired that the supply of energy from the translating device 1 to the circuit 2 be interrupted, the energization of the magnet coils 20 and 27 is interrupted to cause the governor 6' to close the gate valve the relay 28 to be engaged When the contact members 29 are engaged, a short circuit between the'terminals of the operating coil 17 of-the relay 16 is completed to de-energize this coil, thereby permitting the relay 16 to elfect disengagement of its contact member 18. Disengagement of the contact members 18 interrupts the circuit extending through the operating coil 19 of the circuit interrupter 3 and the compression spring 23 thereupon causes the circuit interrupter 3 to be opened. Conof the water wheel 4, the translatingdevice 1 and the exciter generator 10 to be stopped. The various apparatus included in the system embodying my invention are now all in the condition originally described and are again ready to respond to the energization of the magnet coils 20 and 27, in a manner similar to ,that previously described, for causing the translating device 1 to start suppling energy to the external circuit 2.

t will be understood that the system embodying my invention is not limited to the s ecific details of construction and connectlons that have been shown in the drawings and described in the foregoing specification, as many changes and modifications may be made therein without departin from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electrical translating station, the combination with a circuit, a main generator for supplying energy thereto, connecting means between the main generator and the circuit, an operating coil for the connecting means, a prime mover for driving the main generator, a source of energy for the prime mover, a field-magnet winding for the main generator, and an exciter generator driven by the prime moverand adapted to supply energy to the field-magnet winding of the main generator, of means for admitting energy to the prime mover from the source in response to predetermined conditions to start the prime mover from rest, means for connecting only one circuit between the terminals of the exciter generator during the starting period of the prime mover, said circuit comprising a voltage-responsive relay, a switch actuated by the voltage-responsive relay when the voltage of the exciter generator attains a predetermined value to connect the operating coil of the connecting means between the circuit and the main generator to the terminals of the exciter generator to close the connecting means, and means actuated by the connecting means for connecting the field-magnet winding of the main generator to the terminals of the exciter generator.

Q. An automatically controlled electrical translating station comprising a circuit, a. main generator, an exciter generator, a prime mover for driving both the main generator and the exciter generator, a source of energy for the prime mover, means adapted to be energized to admit energy from the source to the prime mover to start the same from rest, means operative only in response to the voltage of the exciter generator for' establishing connections between the circuit and the main generator, and means adapted to be de-energized simultaneously with the de-energization of the energy-admitting means to render said voltage-responsive means ineffective.

3. An automatically controlled electrical translating station comprising a circuit, a main generator having a field-magnet winding, an exciter generator, a prime mover for driving both the main generator and the exciter generator, a source of energy for the prime mover, means adapted to be energized to admit energy from the source to the prime mover to start the same from rest,

means operative'only in response to the voltage of the exciter generator for establishing connection between the circuit and the main generator and between the field-magnet winding of the main generator and the exciter generator, vand means adapted to be de-energized simultaneously with the de-energization of the energy-admitting means to render said voltage-responsive means ineffective.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of February, 1924.

WILLIAM L. NEWMEYER. 

